The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-02-03
BOYCOTTING In INDIA.
SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT FROM THE
PRACTICE IN OTHER COUNTRIES.
Very Curious Examples Of the Practice.
Whole Families Boycotted for Years
and Years-what Gold win Accom-
plish-Outcast Women.

and Year.-what Gold WIN Accom-
plish-Outcast Women.
Boycotting, differing in some particulars
from the way in which it is done in the
land where the English term originated,
has been practiced for ages in India. There
Is this great difference between Irish and
Hindoo boycotting: the former Is based
mainly ON political, semi-political, or fiscal
reasons; whereas the latter is practiced on
purely social or religious grounds Then
the Irish is severer than the Hindoo method
in this sense, that no tradesman will sell
anything to the boycotted man, who Is
more or less like a prisoner in his own house;
whereas boycotted Hindoo can buy any
thing anywhere or go to any places he likes,
only people will not go to his house or assO-
ciate with him or his family in any way.
On the other hand, the Hindoo is severer
than the Irish bOycotting in that the latter
may be only temporary, and rises at the
caprice of the boycotters; whereas the for
mer is often permanent, or can be done
away with only by going through certain
expiatory rites or costly ceremonies, which
come hard even on the richer classes. A
man may be boycotted in Ireland for no
fault Of his own; but in India boycotting
follows upon a breach of observance of some
time honored custom, or by any public
Offense against traditional notions Of pro-
priety. Indian boycotting is allied to out
casting, but is quite distinct from it and not
half severe. A man can lose his caste
only by breaking one of its well defined
rules, which are quite different from mere
customs for observances. An Outcast
man is necessarily boycotted; but a boy
cotted man keeps his caste all right as long
as he does not act against its rules. Again,
= man may be outcast, but not his fam
lily for that reason; yet his relations will
be boycotted il they associate with him
SOME CURIOUS EXAMPLES.
Let me now cite some examples. Some
years ago a learned Pundit gave his daugh-
ter in marriage when she was few years
older than the prescribed marriageable age
among the Hindoos; and the offense was
rendered doubly heinous by the perpetrator
being a Brahmin of high order. He was
strictly boycotted accordingly; and, l be-
lieve, notwithstanding his great reputation
as u scholar and a benevolent person, and in
spite of his endeavors to propitiate the Brah
minis in many ways, he il still avoided by
orthodox Hindoos A whole family has
been boycotted for receiving and associating
with one Of its members who returned from
England and had lost his caste through eat
ing Ath Englishmen- One gentleman has
been boycotted forever for getting his
widowed daughter married.
II anybody's son or daughter -in-law
associates with non Hindoos publicly the
offending individual is outcasted and the
whole family is boycotted. IL a son does
not mourn for his deceased father in the
prescribed manner he is boycotted In some
parts of India men are boycotted for wear
ing trousers Of European fashion-or, in
deed, any dress that was not worn by their
ancestors Of thousand years ago. A we'll
known historical example Of Hindoo boycott
ting is that OF the Jeypore royal family,
which was boycotted for hundreds of years
by the other Rajpoot royal families for being
the first Hindoo family of princely rank who
offered u daughter in marriage to "A mogul
emperor. In Rajputana whole tribes are
often boycotted il somebody does not proper
ly observe the traditional customs or forms
= connection with lower caste or with non
Hindoos-
WHAT GOLD WILL DO.
But nowadays bovcotting can be raised In
India by a judicious Of the almighty
gold. / may mention a well known case.
A distinguished Hindoo gentleman and
merchant of large Indian town was
boycotted for reforming propensities. His
old orthodox mother, who lived in the
country on the occasion Of a religious
festival directed the servants as usual
to distribute OFFERINGS Of rice, fruits and
sweetmeats among the Brahmins Of the
neighborhood. To a man they refused to
accept the same on the ground that her son
was deserting his caste. The old lady was
deeply cbagrined and began to be mortally
afraid OF the destination Of her soul after
death. On hearing this her son went down
to his country house and ordered the serv-
ants to take the offerings again to the Brah-
minis, this time placing five rupees on each
of the plates. The expedient answered won
derfully well. The very Brahmins who a
few hours before had turned away the serv-
ants iSnominiously now came running to the
merchants house and literally scrambled for
the presents. This story seems to justify the
saving Of another rich Hindoo that .'caste
was in his iron chest"
Boycotting and outcasting are made
double oppressive to Hindoo women, and for
the most trifiing reasons. "A married woman
not putting the sindoor Ia red powder) on
the parting of her hair is boycotted. In the
country If a mother law eats or lives in
the house of her son-in-law before her
daughter has child she will be at once boy
cotted young married lady was boy
cotte1 for not observing some ceremony at
the birth of her child A man can regain
his caste by performing the expiatory rites;
but an outcast woman, especially if she
has broken away from the zenana or asso-
ciated with non Hindoos is never taken bach
to her caste.-Hindoo in st. James Gazette.
Length OF Life.
Thomas Bailey Aldrich, who has just beer
undergoing the ordeal Of a birthday ami
versary, says "a man should either die a
50 or live to he 800. New York World
Cloths dipped into hot potato water ar
recommended for immediate AMI complet
relief in the severest cases OF rheumu tism.